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NASA's Vital Signs resource on carbon dioxide presents an interactive CO2 chart from 2005 to present, a graph of CO2 dating back 800,000 years, and an animation of global CO2 levels between 2002 and 2016.
There are links to more information provided and the graphs can be downloaded.
Atmospheric CO2 levels are measured at the NOAA observatory in Mauna Loa.
Students can see the level of carbon dioxide increase over time and see where it tends to increase geographically.
Prerequisites
Students should know how to read a graph.
Differentiation & Implementation
Advanced students could investigate the reasons for carbon dioxide levels fluctuating so drastically in the Northern Hemisphere as compared to the Southern Hemisphere.
This is a great resource for lessons about photosynthesis, the carbon cycle, nutrient cycling, weather, Earth's tilt and seasons, Earth's orbit around the sun, or climate change.
Any class could use this resource for fact-checking, research, or data analysis.
